Help Pakistani Hindus register marriages, says court

The Supreme Court wants the government to take early action so that Hindus in Pakistan overcome the hurdles they face in registering their marriages.

The apex court has ordered the federal government to ensure that the draft of the proposed Hindu Marriage Registration Bill was laid before the cabinet for approval in two weeks, the Dawn reported Wednesday.

The directions were issued when Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, drew the attention of a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk to the issue.

The absence of a Hindu marriage registration law has been taken up more than once.

In 2012, a bench took up a similar issue after a newspaper pointed out the problems faced by Hindus in Pakistan in obtaining Computerized National Identity Cards and passports.

Due to the absence of the law, Hindu couples faced difficulties in getting their marriages registered as per Hindu customs.

In Tuesday's proceedings, a National Database and Registration Authority representative told the court that it was facing problems in the registration of marriage certificates from Sindh, where most Hindus live.

Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt was then asked to ensure that cabinet approves the bill on the registration of Hindu marriages.